Key Findings

The concept of a digital “stack” comes from the world of computing. A software stack is a group of independent software components that work together to accomplish a specific task. For example, sending an email requires different pieces of software to compose the message, connect to the network, transmit the data, and ultimately reassemble the message for a reader on the other side. Cars provide a useful analogy: they are made up of different subsystems like transmissions, engines, stereos, and climate control, which can be exchanged for different systems if needed. Just as tires can be swapped out to drive on snow or maximize gas mileage, technologists can change out pieces of a stack without compromising the integrity of the entire system.

Foundational layers of most digital government stacks include digital identity, data management, and digital payments. These systems provide core functionality to help manage tasks including public finances, benefits, and procurement. Similarly, cars can operate without air conditioning or a radio, but they cannot run without an engine, transmission, or brakes.

Many public services depend on establishing identity, exchanging data, and transferring resources. For instance, Germany laid the groundwork for a digital healthcare system by constructing digital infrastructure to share standardized electronic medical records so that patients, doctors, pharmacies, and hospitals could leverage a common information network. Germany’s digital identification and data exchange systems enabled a national coronavirus response that has proven far more effective than what has been possible in countries with more fragmented healthcare systems, such as in the United States.

Though many national digital systems have not collapsed data silos, some nations are embracing a whole-of-government approach to managing information. National platforms like Estonia’s X-Road system and the IndiaStack along with multilateral efforts such as UNDP’s Building Blocks refugee payment system are pioneering new models for how nations can leverage and protect citizens’ data. The coronavirus has catalyzed further innovation in this area. Germany and Switzerland are experimenting with data models that give individuals control of their information to preserve privacy while still enabling governments to solve urgent challenges. Ultimately, allowing citizens to own their personal data while ensuring common data standards to facilitate interoperability may emerge as a best practice in the field.

Some governments such as the United Kingdom have built modular and open source tools for reuse both within and across national governments. Others, such as in Estonia, Singapore and India, have adopted whole-of-government approaches to digital government platforms that integrate with civil society and the private sector systems through APIs and other interoperability enablers. A growing coalition of governments, private firms, philanthropic actors, and civil society organizations are beginning to weave together these national efforts to develop digital platforms into a coherent global movement.

Here are a few examples drawn from our platform tracker:

DHIS2 is the world’s largest health management information system (HMIS). It is an open source platform used by health facilities, doctors, and clinics in 72 low- and middle-income countries with national-scale deployments in 58 countries. DHIS2 can be adapted to a diverse range of local settings and needs while still exchanging data between different users because it leverages well-established data standards and open source software. The platform can manage the logistics of cold-storage transport units for vaccines, monitor the health of pregnant women in rural communities, and track outbreaks of infectious disease. DHIS2 recently added a module specifically for detecting and managing public health responses to COVID-19. A global team of software developers maintains DHIS2 by fixing bugs for all users of the software worldwide.

MOSIP, or the Modular, Open Source Identity Platform, is a digital identity platform that enables countries to build their own identity systems and adapt the platform to local needs. Thanks to MOSIP’s modular design, countries can configure unique instances of the software to fit local privacy requirements, integrate with different partners for credentialing and authentication, and comply with cybersecurity regulations. MOSIP also works with companies that manufacture identification tools, such as biometric scanners and electronic identity cards, to create security standards and accreditation to foster growth and competition in the identity services industry. MOSIP is currently working with Morocco, the Philippines, Guinea, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka. The project is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Omidyar Network, and the TATA Trusts.

UK Notify is an open source tool developed by the U.K. Digital Government Service to notify constituents of various status updates with government applications or processes. Since 2016, UK Notify has been adopted by nearly 500 organizations for use in over 1,500 public service applications. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and Canadian Digital Service are using UK Notify to deliver pandemic-related public health announcements.